Lakeside Gymnastics In Gsl

The Greater Spokane League has accepted Lakeside into the league for gymnastics.

Lakeside, a member of the 2A Great Northern League, is the only non-GSL school in the area that offers the sport.

Lakeside’s addition gives the GSL 10 schools competing in gymnastics. League meets will consist of two five-team competitions.

GSL member Gonzaga Prep and East Valley, which joins the GSL next year, do not have teams.

The keys for accepting Lakeside were the school agreeing to host meets and receiving assurances from District 7 that gymnastics would be the only sport its schools would seek to compete in within the GSL, according to District 8 officials.

Lakeside will act as host for a meet at Lakeside Middle School. Host schools have to pay for the judges.

“I think the concern was if they were going to come into the league, they needed to carry their own weight by hosting their own meet,” Randy Ryan, District 8 secretary said.

The Eagles must decide whether to remain in District 8 for postseason competition or opt to compete in the 2A state qualifying meets.

Bowling unlikely

It is unlikely the GSL will offer girls bowling next year.

Bowling is a newly-approved WIAA event.

“Right now, there are no details,” Ryan said. “What we’re going to try to do now is talk to local bowling alleys to see what kind of arrangements can be made. We’re not in any shape to offer the sport next year.”

Asotin changes leagues

Asotin will leave the Blue Mountain League and join the Whitman County League for the 1999-2000 school year.

Asotin asked to join the Whitman because the Blue Mountain has expanded into the Tri-Cities area, said superintendent Dave Boeckman. Asotin calculated that it could trim an hour per road trip by playing in the Whitman rather than the Blue Mountain, Boeckman said.

The Whitman will become a seven-team league with the change.

According to Whitman County League historian David Maley of Rosalia, the last school added to the league was Washtucna, in 1972.

Asotin’s latest enrollment count of 149 left it just shy of the cutoff (151) for the 1A classification.

Formula altered

The Opstad Formula, used to determine postseason berths for high school athletics, has been altered.

Starting with the 2001-02 school year, only the number of schools in a district will be used to determine how many state berths a district receives.

In the past, school enrollments were also figured into the equation.

COMING UP All-league track The all-league track teams and photos of the All-GSL track teams will be published Saturday.